The Stogie Guys

So far this year I’ve reviewed two interesting smokes from United Cigar: the Atabey Ritos, an expensive cigar that’s complex and nuanced; and the Garofalo Robusto, a mild-mannered smoke that’s affordable, flavorful, and satisfying.

Both creations are impressive, not only in their performance but also in their packaging (more on that later). So I’ve made it a point to try and smoke my way through the rest of the United Cigar portfolio, which includes Bandolero, Fleur de la Reine, La Gianna, and Byron.

The latter is named for Lord Byron, an English poet and a leader of the Romantic movement. The Byron cigar line is the revival of an old Cuban brand from the mid-nineteenth century. “Many cigar factories produced numerous brands with Anglo-American names to attract UK and US markets, which had tremendous demand for premium cigars at the time,” according to the United Cigar website.

Today Byron is made in three different blends—Siglo XIX, Siglo XX, and Siglo XXI—to represent “what Cuban cigars were in the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries.” They are handmade in Costa Rica, stored in an aging room for one year, and then packaged in beautifully ornate porcelain jars or individually humidified tubes.

The Siglo XX Londinenses (5.5 x 54) is dark, firm, and clearly crafted with care. Underneath the cedar sleeve and double bands is a virtually veinless wrapper with a well-executed cap and potent pre-light notes of green raisin, cocoa, and earth. The Byron Siglo XX’s wrapper, binder, and filler are undisclosed.

The cold draw is quite tight, which is a bit of a concern, but fortunately it seems to open immediately after setting an even light. The ensuing flavor is medium-bodied and balanced with notes of creamy nut, sweet cream, dried fruit, coffee, cedar spice, warm tobacco, and cinnamon. Yes, there’s a lot going on here. The texture is dense and the smoke production is moderate. The final third witnesses a slight increase in spice and body.

Aside from the draw being a tad too resistant for my liking, construction is absolutely perfect. The gray ash holds well off the foot, and the straight burn line doesn’t require a single-touch up.

Like Atabey, the Byron Serie Siglo XX Londinenses is competing in the ultra-premium market with a sky-high price of about $30. Surely some of that cost is sunk in the flamboyantly elaborate packaging and the humidified tube (which is reusable and excellent for the golf bag, by the way). That said, this is no mediocre cigar on masquerade. No, the flavors are as numerous as they are harmonious, and the experience is downright memorable. Pony up for an indulgence, and be prepared for a cigar that’s worthy of four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

With a high price and limited availability, I don’t smoke Drew Estate’s Dirty Rat frequently, but when I do I never regret it. The cigar came about when Drew Estate wanted to add a corona size to its Liga Privada No. 9 line, but the small ring gauge meant the blend had to be tweaked. The result is a balanced cigar that is simultaneously sweet, spicy, and savory. Milk chocolate, rich earth, and black pepper flavors are all apparent.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

For a little over three years I held on to this specimen in my humidor. That’s about as much patience as I can muster, so it was high time I lit up the Small Batch Reserve Maduro Robusto (5 x 52). This Pinar del Rio creation sports a dark Ligero Habano wrapper from Brazil, a Dominican Criollo ’98 binder, and Corojo filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The result is a well-constructed, pleasurable smoke with notes dark chocolate, peanut, coffee, syrup, and cream—perhaps a little more balanced and subdued than what I remember, and a little more chalky in texture. Whether you plan to smoke it or age it, the Small Batch Reserve Maduro Robusto will be a wise investment at only $7.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This little cigar makes quite a first impression: tight pigtail cap, unfinished foot, oily wrapper, and warm barnyard aroma.

And when you begin smoking, it more than lives up to the pre-light promise. Whether you’re looking for a lunchtime smoke, a cold (or hot) weather shortie, or just a small vitola to fit your schedule, Crux’s Passport Half Corona delivers.

The dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper covers Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, and the combination results in a relatively strong, tasty cigar. In addition to rich tobacco flavors, the most prominent others I found were coffee, chocolate, and some pepper.

One of five sizes in the Passport line rolled by Plasencia, the Half Corona is 4 inches long with a ring gauge of 42. MSRP is $5.99, and it comes in 20-count boxes.

Other than a bit of a tight draw on one of the five samples sent to me by Crux, construction and performance were solid. As with most smaller cigars, it’s essential to smoke slowly and not draw too deeply so you’ll avoid overheating the tobacco.

When I reviewed the Passport Lancero, almost a year ago, Crux cigars could be found in only a handful of shops. Today, the site lists scores of retailers in more than 30 states that carry the brand.

I wondered how the small operation was being affected by its growing acceptance in the market and checked with Jeff Haugen, who is Crux brand and Tobacco Grove co-owner. “Yes, demand has been exceeding supply,” he emailed me. “We have adapted and changed our production schedule to keep up with demand. We will continue to do this as long as the quality stays consistent.”

The Passport Half Corona is well worth seeking out. I liked it even more than the Lancero and give it four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Back in January, I was introduced to Cubanacan—a cigar company with a name that means “where fertile land is abundant”—via the Soneros Habano Claro Corona Gorda. I really enjoyed that cigar, and was therefore eager to try the subject of today’s review: the Cubanacan Soneros Habano Maduro Corona Gorda. Even with my high expectations, I would not be disappointed.

As a reminder, Cubanacan began growing its own tobacco in Nicaragua in 2006, and shortly thereafter established the Tabacalera Cubanacan factory in Estelí. There, six distinct blends are handmade under the supervision of master blender Omar González Alemán: Cubanacan Connecticut, Cubanacan Habano, Cubanacan Maduro, HR Habano 2000, Soneros Maduro, and Soneros Habano Claro.

Like the Soneros Habano Claro, the Maduro also comes in the same five vitolas: Campana, Corona Gorda, Gran Robusto, Petit Sublime, and Toro. The two blends also share the same tobacco makeup—Habano Ecuadorian wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, and Nicaraguan filler. The difference, obviously, is the Habano Maduro is wrapped in a dark Ecuadorian Maduro leaf.

I sampled two Soneros Habano Maduro Corona Gordas (5.625 x 46) for this review, both of which were provided by Cubanacan. They retail for $7.75 and come complete with oily, toothy wrappers, well-executed caps, and rich pre-light notes of dark chocolate and earth. Aside from the wrapper color, it’s easy to tell the Maduro apart from the Claro; the former has a red band, while the latter is black.

As I said in my review of the Habano Claro, I personally love this Corona Gorda size. I would probably choose its dimensions (or some rough approximation thereof) if I were pressed to divulge my favorite cigar format right now. The slender frame is a nice departure from the (regrettable) trend toward thicker smokes, and the length means you have plenty of time to enjoy the flavor—but the whole experience won’t be overstaying its welcome.

Speaking of the experience, the Habano Maduro Corona Gorda starts with a profile that includes coffee, oak, and cream—not dissimilar to the Habano Claro. However, the Maduro quickly differentiates itself with the additions of black cherry and cocoa. I’d characterize the body as medium to medium-full, especially as a hearty does of espresso enters around the midway point. The texture is leathery, and the resting smoke is incredibly sweet. Construction is virtually perfect. Both of my samples exhibited straight burn lines, solid gray ashes, smooth draws with just the right amount of resistance, and above-average smoke production.

A Habano Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper is, at least to me, a different take on the Maduro concept, and one I definitely appreciate. The Soneros Habano Maduro Corona Gorda is another strong effort from Cubanacan, and one that’s worthy of four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Considering its wide availability, bold barrel-proof flavors, and consistent quality, I’ve always felt Booker’s Bourbon was a bit underrated. Now, for better or worse, I think the marketing department at Jim Beam has finally caught on. (Beam makes Booker’s along with the rest of the Small Batch Collection: Knob Creek, Baker’s, and Basil Hayden.)

Last month Beam announced a “new collection” of limited edition Booker’s releases, the first of which would be called “Big Man, Small Batch,” which pays homage to the late Booker Noe, one of the biggest personalities in the bourbon business. For those looking for this or future limited edition releases, the packaging features a different, larger batch label with an illustration, and the box is stained a darker brown, whereas regular releases (including Roundtable releases) will continue in the lighter, natural wood boxes.

Unlike last year’s 25th Anniversary, the age statement of this first limited edition is within the normal 6-8 years for Booker’s. Specifically, “Big Man, Small Batch” (Batch No. 2015-01) is 7 years, 2 months, and 16 days old. It’s bottled at 128.7-proof (64.35% ABV). At least in Virginia state liquor stores, it sells for the same price as regular release Booker’s: $59.

As you’d expect, it’s a full-bodied bourbon in the Booker’s tradition with a bold nose of caramel and vanilla. On the palate there’s more vanilla, peanut butter, and salted caramel. Only on the finish does the high-proof heat come through, along with vanilla and oak.

To test out Big Man Small Batch, I tasted it side by side with two other Booker’s bottles: a 6-year-old batch No. C06-K-8 bottled at 130.4-proof, and batch No. 2014-6, a Roundtable Batch aged 7 years, 2 months, and 14 days, and bottled at 127.7-proof. (Roundtable Batches, selected with the input of various bourbon writers, don’t have any special packaging and can only be identified by the batch number.)

The six-year-old has a bit more sharpness and resinous wood. The Roundtable Batch is more refined and closer to the Big Man, Small Batch in profile, which makes sense given the very similar age statement and proof, but it doesn’t have the toffee-like richness of this first limited release.

So as long as Booker’s sells this and future limited edition Booker’s at the same price as the regular batches, it’s easy to recommend to those who enjoy full-bodied, high-proof bourbons. I, for one, am looking forward to future Booker’s releases from this line, and filings last year for label approvals suggest there may be many coming.

As for cigars, all Booker’s releases call for the same thing: a full-bodied smoke. The RoMaCraft Cromagnon, Arturo Fuente Opus X, EO 601 Serie “Blue”, and La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero all fit the bill.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Who doesn’t love lighting up a new cigar about which you know virtually nothing and ending up a fan?

That’s exactly what happened to me with this Dominican puro. It hooked me from the beginning with jalapeño pepper, a bit reminiscent of the old Pepín-blended 601 Reds. After that, the flavors shifted to include some gentler spice, earth, and leather, even a bit of sweetness as the pepper reemerged more in the final third.

Exactus comes from Tabacalera El Artista, which was introduced to me by marketing manager Jonás Santana, who also sent me samples of the Puro Ambar line and its sibling, Puro Ambar Legacy. The company was founded in 1956 and now produces over 7 million cigars annually worldwide, including its own brands.

Blending work on Puro Ambar began in early 2013 and it was released at last year’s IPCPR Trade Show, Santana told me. It comes in two sizes: the Short Robusto (4.75 x 54) that I smoked, and a Short Coloso (5.5 x 60). Retail prices are about $7 and $8.

The Puro Ambar blend is an interesting one. The wrapper is called T13 and listed as an exclusive to Tabacalera El Arista. The binder is a wine-fermented Criollo ’98, with the filler comprising Criollo ’98 and Tabacalera El Arista’s Criollo 1900.

Santana sent me three samples. I smoked two and plan to pass the third along at my local B&M with the suggestion that they consider carrying the line. (The Exactus site has an interactive display of retailers who carry its cigars.)

Construction generally was fine, especially the draw. I did have to do a couple of relights on each stick, primarily, I think, because the thick wrapper was prone to going out when sitting, even briefly. The burn was, nonetheless, even and slow, producing lots of smoke.

If you like bold, spicy cigars, this is one to try. I rate this a strong four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys